4) The coffee and espresso are great. I've learned to make a latte just like Starbuck's and I haven't been back since. Some people complain that the frother doesn't work well, but here's the trick: first, you should use non-fat or low-fat milk. For some reason, lower fat milk froths better every time; second, be sure to clean the frothing nozzle after each use. Kind of a no-brainer, I know. Third, there are two settings on the frother, and you can change the setting by sliding the sleeve on the frothing tip up or down. Experiment with this and you will get the perfect froth, really.
Super Automatic Espresso Machines are remarkable devices that provide the pinnacle of espresso machine automation. They literally do almost everything for you but drink your espresso. A super automatic espresso machine typically will grind your coffee beans, properly measure them and the water to be used, froth milk for you, and dispense a perfect beverage for you with the touch of a button. Further, they will remember your favorite recipes and customization.
Everything about the Gira 5 is perfectly designed and engineered to produce incredible coffee drinks at twice the pace of other units. If we had a need for this much coffee this is the model we would buy, but our current consumption simply doesn’t warrant it. The Giga 5 is very popular in office settings but we also know families who entertain that have it in their home.

Jura A1: The newest addition to the brand’s award-winning line of automatic coffee centers, the Micro 1 is an ultra-compact one-cup machine that brews the perfect cup of espresso. Program the machine for three defined cup sizes, two aroma levels and an aroma preservation cover that keeps the coffee beans fresh. The small but powerful machine also has an intelligent preheating feature that ensures the coffee and crema are the perfect temperature.

The other point that we wanted to highlight isn’t necessarily a negative per se, but just the fact that it’s a lot to spend, and let’s face it – it is! There’s a lot of machines available in the sub £500 range, and we’d never advocate or encourage spending more than you can afford. Having said that, you do get what you pay for, and in this case we believe it’s exceptional quality. If you really love coffee, it’s probably worth paying as much as you’re comfortable with to get a great machine, and that’s exactly what you’re getting here.
If you want to steam and froth milk for 1 or 2 cups, you can take advantage of the dual Frother+ system that’s very simple to use. Featuring settings for cappuccino and latte, you can easily prepare your favorite drink in seconds. You’ll then be alerted when the machine is ready to steam and if you want, you can also dial in your desired steaming time by using the Rotary Switch.
Yep, the Barista Express isn’t just an elegant, well-built espresso machine – it also features a built-in grinder, allowing you to make coffee with beans you’ve smashed into dust literally seconds earlier. Freshness means a lot in the coffee world, so this is a Big Deal – as is the low-pressure pre-infusion of the grounds before the water is forced through them at higher 50 bar pressure.
First, I really wanted to like this machine. The specs, design, functionality, were exactly what I was looking for in a super automatic espresso machine, however the machine failed to perform the basic task of making espresso. I found the display, programming, controls, and size of the water chamber to be good. The milk frothing system was cumbersome as it required you to attach tubes each time you wanted a milk drink. When the system worked, the steamed milk was hot and the consistency was great for cappuccinos and lattes. However, if the tube was not connected precisely (very little room for error) the consistency of the milk was poor. I ended up having to restart the process several times as the tubes were not connected properly or they came loose as the milk was pumped. The tubes also presented an issue with clean up in that they had to be cleaned after each use.

Jura has several coffee machines on the market at several different price points so if you were planning on investing in one (and they are an investment), we’d like to help you make sense of the different features and make clear what you gain and lose as you look at different models while deciding which one is the best fit for your kitchen. In this thorough Jura review guide, we are going to cover what makes the Jura so special and ultimately worth the money, what the best features of each unit are, what to look out for when deciding on a model, and most importantly which Jura coffee machine to buy.

Just by the water canister (which holds just under two litres), there’s a replaceable water filter that cleans the water as the machine begins each cycle. Depending where you live, this may carry a different weight of importance, but if you’re in an area where water has a strong taste, this may well be a big plus towards buying the Jura Impressa F8 over other machines. Water is such a big part of making coffee, it will go a long way towards giving consistent results day after day!

The improvements are quite a few, including the four selectable strength options that helps determine the dosage of the shots you want to brew between five and sixteen grams of coffee. If you want, you can easily tailor your experience with programmable pre-brewing, brew temperature and water volume. You can make the adjustments by using the rotary switch and the good news is that the machine will remember your preferences so you can brew the same delicious cup of coffee next time.
If you’re a froth fan, you won’t be disappointed – Jura machines tend to be very good frothers (if that’s a word) and manage to top off drinks to the same standard as you’ll usually find in the high street coffee shops. It’s certainly an impressive result, even if we found it was a novelty the wore off rather quickly. We’re not the biggest advocates of milk foaming though, so you might be more excited that we are!